HE used to tell his mum Mary what to wear but Danyul Brown had no idea that a career in celebrity fashion awaited when he was a youngster.

The former Priestley College student has taken the fashion world by storm after creating an outfit for Jack Garratt for the 2016 Brit Awards.

Danyul is also stylist to some of the industry's leading models and musicians including Conor Maynard.

And it all happened by accident when the then 17-year-old took a placement at Alexander McQueen while studying art, media and graphics at Priestley College.

He said: "Just out of curiosity I was looking at internships online and I saw there was one in the print department for Alexander McQueen.

"Obviously it’s a fashion house but the internship was in graphic design because it was to create images on the computer that would go on garments."

The late Alexander McQueen was chief designer at Givenchy for five years and outfits bearing his brand are worn by the likes of The Duchess of Cambridge.

During his placement Danyul helped with the preparations for Paris Fashion Week.

"It was Alexander McQueen headquarters so it was like another world to me," he added.

"Priestley were really good in helping me get set up in London for those three weeks and I saw all these different departments and how they worked.

"That’s when I realised styling was something I wanted to go into."

Danyul went on to study style at Middlesex University but he said it was the first-hand experience which proved invaluable.

He said: "Without experience you’re at the bottom of the ladder and some people ask how I have achieved all this at 23.

"I just say I wasn’t lazy and I was brave. A lot of people are apprehensive about putting themselves out there.

"You’ve got to work those long hours and do those small paid jobs that lead to the bigger things.

"It’s quite hard to break into the industry because everyone is going for the same dream.

"I learnt by assisting at the likes of London Fashion Week, looking at how other stylists worked and doing shoots for magazines."

The stylist now runs his own business in North London. Then two and a half years ago Danyul went into celebrity styling, starting with Conor Maynard.

"We're great friends now and I still work with him," added Danyul, who was due to see Conor at Liverpool Arena on the day we interviewed him.

But Danyul told Weekend that his highlight so far has been dressing Jack Garratt for the Brit Awards. He previously worked with the singer-songwriter at last year's BBC Music Awards.

He said: "Jack was performing as well as walking the red carpet. He won arguably the biggest award at the Brits that night – the Critics’ Choice.

"That award has previously been won by Sam Smith and Adele so all eyes were on him. It was my job to make sure he looked amazing.

"I was terrified but the nerves is what makes it exciting.

"The process involved making sure I had the right suit that stood out and that Jack was comfortable in.

"It had to suit his music and brand. I had to get it made to measure so we had tailors in to fit it. It’s weeks and weeks of preparation for one day.

"A lot of fashion comes from lifestyle – who you hang around with, the music you’re into and where you live.

"With musicians in particular I think style comes from the music they produce.

"So an exciting part of the job is you get to go to all of the gigs as you need to know the music to know the client.

"As a musician or an actor or a model it’s important that you look good and represent yourself as what you’re wearing ultimately creates who you are."

Danyul is currently working with Sody, a 15-year-old singer hotly tipped to be a star in the years to come.

But his dream is to be Paul McCartney's stylist.

He added: "My granddad Bill is a huge Beatles fan so I’d love to do Paul McCartney. My granddad has been my number one supporter and keeps me going."

DAVID MORGAN